Keuchel sees improvement despite inflated numbers

The lefthander’s big-league ERA in 2013 was 5.15. His ERA the year before wasn’t much different: 5.27.

But the Astros’ No. 5 pitcher improved his already strong groundball rate last season. He came close to doubling rate of strikeouts per nine innings, and he also lowered his walk rate.

“As a pitcher myself, I know I’ve improved in my two years,” Keuchel said ahead of his season debut. “It’s difficult just because the team the last two years has been borderline embarrassing. At the end of the year you kind of take a step back, look at what those last seven months — what happened. Ultimately the first number you see is the ERA … Some of the front office told us, ‘We’re not looking at ERA and stuff like that.'”

Keuchel had meetings with management, and said they gave him a vote of confidence — and he too knew he had pitched better in ’13 than he had in ’12.

Keuchel said it feels like “forever ago” since he last pitched, Saturday in San Antonio in an exhibition against the Rangers.

His first three outings in spring were great, but he struggled to end camp. Despite the early results, Keuchel told pitching coach Brent Strom he didn’t feel he was throwing right.

They started working to get Keuchel to use his lower half more.

“Just pitching wise, saving my upper body and my arm a little bit more,” Keuchel said. “It’s worked out a lot better so far. In the last year, I was still getting results I felt my arm was just fatigued more than what I was used to.”